Considering there were recent proposals to change the name of Huntington Beach in Los Angeles to Surf City, it is no surprise that every second store on the main street is geared to the surfboarding, snowboarding, skateboarding, rollerblading generation. The latest addition to this mix, though, is the "heeling" enthusiast who can walk, run, roll, vault, spin or glide at any given moment.

Heeled wheels, shoes that roll, the footwear to rival scooters - or "Heelys", to give them their official, patent-pending title - are steadily becoming the latest craze in Los Angeles. The shoes have a single "stealth" wheel housed in the heel of the shoes, allowing users to walk or run and then change to a roll. The wheels are detachable, transforming the shoes into fashionable streetwear.

Heelys were invented by a former Washington skate brat, Roger Adams, during a mid-life crisis. He was inspired to create Heelys for instant acceleration. The result is one of today's most sought-after high-performance sports shoes.

As it is against the law to skate on Main Street, Huntington Beach, the local police keep an eye out for offenders of the wheeling kind. Now they are faced with the confusion of heeling.

When Jerry Cleland, the manager of Sakal Surfboards, glided across the road in front of a police officer, he was given a warning. "Whatever you just did, don't do it again." The officer had seen Cleland glide across the road, yet when he looked down at Cleland's feet he was wearing a regular pair of trainers. The officer was mystified.

Sakal Surfboards is one of a growing number of stores to sell Heelys, and Cleland reports that they are just flying off the shelves - even when he doubles his order they sell just as fast. The shoes retail at between $90 and $110, and are so popular that one customer paid the full price for the Heelys Cleland was wearing - and had been wearing for two weeks.

Before buying my Heelys, I asked Cleland if they were OK to use on rough surfaces - he did a demonstration on the pavement in front of the store. What looked like a slow jog, ended up with him gliding off into the distance. However, instead of rolling his way back to the store, Cleland jogged back; he had seen a police car pull up outside the store, and avoided a fine by making the transition from a roll to a run.

I couldn't resist the lure of Heelys and bought a pair immediately, but I yet have to master the skill of heeling. To see the experts in action, check out the product's website: www.heelys.com.